Door bar lock



Oct. 1966 H. c. HOWARD 'ETAL 3, 8

DOOR BAR LOCK Filed April 28, 1965 F621 Fq I INVENTORS HERBERT C. HOWARD SHIRLEY A. HOWARD BY xyfia oz'ro and Ska 0170 ATTORNEY 5 United States Patent M 3,280,606 DOOR BAR LOCK Herbert C. Howard and Shirley A. Howard, both of 1207 Valley Drive, Chillum, Md. Filed Apr. 28, 1965, Ser. No. 451,565 6 Claims. (Cl. 70-91) This invention relates to bar locks for doors, windows, or similar closures and more particularly to a bar lock which may be readily installed by a home owner.

The substantial increase in crimes involving forced entry of homes and other establishments has placed additional emphasis upon the need for reliably securing doors and the like against unauthorized entry.

Complex and expensive devices have been proposed heretofore to prevent forced entry through the door of a home, for example, but the expense and complexity which characterize such devices have militated against their widespread use. A need exists for a simple and inexpensive device which is easy to install and to use and which prevents forced entry through the door of a home, for example, even if the usual door lock is forced or if a window is broken so as to permit access to the inside door knob.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide apparatus which meets the foregoing requirements.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to pro:

vide a bar lock which is exceptionally simple in its construction, which is easy to install and to use, and yet which offers the necessary strength and security.

Briefly stated, in its preferred form the apparatus of the present invention comprises a pair of screw-eyes which are threaded into the frame members at opposite sides of a door and are positioned in alignment and parallelism. A bar, perferably a tube of metal, is inserted through the eyes and is positioned with its ends extending beyond the eyes in opposite directions. At one end of the bar, adjacent to the corresponding eye and at opposite sides thereof, the bar is provided with openings into which the hasp of a padlock is inserted so as to be looped through the bar and the eye. Withdrawal of the bar from the eyes is therefore prevented, and the door, which opens toward the bar, is thereby secured against forced entry.

The foregoing and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention, and the manner in which the same are accomplished will become more readily apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate preferred and exemplary embodiments, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating the application of the invention to the prevention of forced entry of the door of a home;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the assembly of bar, screw-eye, and padlock in accordance with a most preferred form of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary elevation view illustrating a modified assembly;

FIGURE 4 is an elevation view illustrating another embodiment of the invention; and

FIGURE 5 is an elevation view illustrating still another embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, in accordance with the invention it is desired to protect a door (which opens inwardly toward the viewer) against forced entry, even if access is obtained to the inside door knob 12, as by breaking the glass of the window 14. The door is supported within a conventional frame having a pair of upright frame members 16, 18, such as tWo-by-fours, at opposite sides thereof and is mounted by conventional hinges upon the frame member 16.

3,280,606 Patented Get. 25, 1966 In accordance with the invention a conventional screweye 20 is threaded into the frame member at each side of the door, the threaded shank of the screw-eyes passing through any trim superimposed upon the frame members. The screw-eyes are preferably of the conventional type having a circular eye and are readily threaded into the frame members after the drilling of a pilot hole. The screw-eyes are placed at a convenient height above the floor, for example about a foot and a half above the floor, and are in horizontal alignment with the eyes arranged vertical and in parallel. A bar 22, preferably of tubular metal, having an outer diameter slightly less than the inner diameter of the eyes, is inserted through the eyees as shown in FIGURE 1. The bar has suflicienl length to span the distance between the eyes and to have its ends projecting from the eyes in opposite directions as shown. Although a solid bar could be employed, a tubular bar is preferred because of the reduction in cost and weight and because of the ease of providing openings to receive the lock as will be described hereinafter. The bar may be an aluminum pipe with an outer diameter of about three-quarters of an inch and a wall thickness of about an eighth of an inch, for example. The screw-eyes may have a shank about two inches in length and a circular eye with a thickness of about three-sixteenths of an inch and may be formed of steel.

It is apparent that when the bar is in place as shown in FIGURE 1, the door cannot be forced inwardly without almost complete destruction of the door and/or the door frame. However, without some means for locking the bar in place an intruder could break the glass in the door or an adjoining window and then remove the bar. To prevent this a padlock 24, either the key or combination type, is used. As shown in FIGURE 2, the bar is provided with a pair of spaced openings 26 which are located ad jacent to and at opposite sides of one of the screw-eyes 20 when the bar is in place. The openings may be simple circular holes drilled through the wall of the hollow pipe of which the bar is made. The spacing and dimensions of the holes are chosen to permit the hasp 28 of the padlock to be inserted through the holes as shown in FIG- URE 2.

As is well known, when the padlock is open, the end of one leg of the U-shaped hasp is exposed. This end may be inserted through one of the holes 26, then through the eye 20, and then through the opposite hole 26. When the hasp is pressed into the body of the lock and secured, the lock is suspended from the 'bar and the bar is joined to the screw-eye, so that the bar cannot be removed. The use of a tubular bar makes the provision of holes 26 a simple matter and avoids the complexity of providing a tunnel or channel for receiving the hasp of the lock.

The key for the lock may be hung upon a pin or hook at a convenient and unobstructive location, as at 30 near the top of one of the frame members. The bar maybe removed after unfastening the lock and may be stored when not in use by suspending it from the same pin or hook from which the key is suspended. If desired, all of the components may be made ornamental for aesthetic reasons. An alarm device, such as a bell, may be attached to the bar so as to signal an attempt at forced entry. Moreover, if the door opens outwardly (away from the bar) an additional screw-eye (or a hook) may be threaded into the door in alignment with the eyes of the frame, so that the bar may be inserted through all three eyes, thereby to prevent outward movement of the door.

While the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 is the much preferred form of the invention, within the broader principles of the invention other forms are possible under certain circumstances. For example, as shown in FIGURE 3, if there is a wall 32 adjacent to one side of the door and extending perpendicularly thereto, the end of the bar 34, here shown as a solid bar, between the Wall and the adjacent eye 20 may be provided with an opening or openings 36 for receiving one leg or both legs of the hasp of the padlock 24. The wall prevents axialwithdrawal of the bar 34 from the aligned eyes 20 in the direction of the wall if the distance between the adjacent extremity of the bar and the wall is less than the length of the protruding portion of the bar at the opposite end. The padlock 24 prevents withdrawal of the bar in the opposite direction by interference with the adjacent screw eye 20.

FIGURE 4 illustrates a modification in which there are walls 38 and 40 adjacent to opposite ends of the bar 42 and extending perpendicularly to the door. Bar 42 is formed in two telescoping parts 44 and 46, at least part 44 and preferably both parts being tubular. When part 46 is telescoped into part '44, the bar may be placed between the screw-eyes 20 and then expanded to the position shown in FIGURE 4, in which the bar extends through the eyes and has its ends protruding therefrom in opposite directions. The telescoping parts may be locked together by means of the padlock 24, the hasp of which (either or both legs) is passed through aligned openings in the telescoping parts. With the lock in place, the bar cannot be removed, because axial movement is restricted by the walls 38 and 40 as described in connection with FIGURE 3.

FIGURE illustrates an embodiment which combines the telescoping bar 42 of FIGURE 4 with the locking arrangement of FIGURE 1. This embodiment permits adjustability of the length of the-bar to accommodate different installations and at the same time provides a simple and effective means for locking the bar in place even in the absence of adjoining walls. A pair of locks 24 is employed, one as in FIGURE 1 and the other as in FIGURE 4.

It is thus apparent that the invention provides bar locks for doors and similar closures Which are simple and economical in construction, which are easy to install and use, and which provide the desired security against forced entry. While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes can be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims. For example, within the 'broader aspects of the invention, in an embodiment similar to that of FIGURE 2 holes 26 could be coalesced into one slot if the :bar were closely fit in the eye, and the hasp would merely depend from the eye and prevent Withdrawal of the bar. In another embodiment similar to FIGURE 2 the holes 26 could pass through both sides ofthe bar, so that the hasp would embrace the eye rather than be looped through it. Accordingly, the foregoing embodiments are to be considered illustrative, rather than restrictive of the invention, and those .-modifications-which come within the meaning and rangeof equivalents of the claims are to be included therein.

The invention claimed is:

1. Apparatus for locking closures and the like, comprising a pair of screw-eyes adapted to be threaded into frame members at opposite sides of the closure with the eyes aligned and parallel, a bar having a length substantially greater than the distance between the eyes and an exterior cross-dimension slightly less than the corresponding interior cross-dimension of the eyes, whereby said bar may be inserted through said eyes and have its ends projecting therefrom, said bar having openings respectively located. at opposite sides of one of said eyes when said bar is in place through said eyes, and lock means adapted to be suspended from said bar for preventing removal of saidbar from said eyes, said lock means having a hasp received in said openings to embrace said one eye and to restrict axial movement of said 'bar.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, said bar being tubular.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, said lock means comprising a padlock, said hasp being inserted through said one eye.

4. In combination with a closure mounted in a frame having a frame member at each side of said closure, a pair of eyes secured to said frame members, respectively, said eyes being aligned and parallel, and a bar inserted through said eyes and having ends projecting beyond said eyes in opposite directions, said bar having openings adjacent to and at each side of one of said eyes, and a padlock having its hasp inserted in said openings and through said one eye.

5. The combination of claim 4, said eyes having shanks threaded into said frame members.

6. The combination of claim 4, said bar being a tube.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,040,573 10/1912 Palmer 292-259 1,176,407 3/1916 Shirey 292--259 1,806,124 5/1931 Smith- 158 X 2,130,216 9/ 1938 Zaninovich 292259 2,665,161 1/1954 Stehling 292--259 X 2,693,691 11/1954 Pasanen 70-58 FOREIGN PATENTS 329,696 9/1935 Italy.

BOBBYR. GAY, Primary Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR LOCKING CLOSURES AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING A PAIR OF SCREW-EYES ADAPTED TO BE THREADED INTO FRAME MEMBERS AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CLOSURE WITH THE EYES ALIGNED AND PARALLEL, A BAR HAVING A LENGTH SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE EYES AND AN EXTEROR CROSS-DIMENSION SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE CORRESPONDING INTERIOR CROSS-DIMENSION OF THE EYES, WHEREBY SAID BAR MAY BE INSERTED THROUGH SAID EYES AND HAVE ITS ENDS PROJECTING THEREFROM, SAID BAR HAVING OPENINGS RESPEC- 